>>> THE TOWN OF STOCKBRIDGE REPRESENTS TO MANY THE VERY BEST
OF SMALL TOWN NEW ENGLAND AND MAINTAINS ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS
MAIN STREETS IN AMERICA, THANKS TO A MEMORABLE NORMAN ROCKWELL
CHRISTMAS TIME PAINTING.
JUST A SHORT RIDE FROM THAT MAIN STREET IS THE NORMAN ROCKWELL
MUSEUM, A 36-ACRE CAMPUS THAT HOUSES THE LARGEST COLLECTION OF
ORIGINAL NORMAN ROCKWELL ART IN THE WORLD, AND THIS YEAR
CELEBRATES ITS 50TH ANNIVERSARY.
PRODUCER DAVE FRASER BRINGS US THE STORY.
>> MAIN STREET IN STOCKBRIDGE, A PICTURESQUE VILLAGE THAT STILL
LOOKS MUCH THE WAY IT DID WHEN ROCKWELL WAS WORKING IN HIS
STUDIO, THAT'S IT THERE, THE PICTURE ABOVE THE GENERAL STORE.
THE TOWN DRAWS THRONGS OF VISITORS EACH YEAR TO STROLL THE
SIDEWALKS, HAVE LUNCH AT THE RED LION INN AND TOUR THE MEUSM
DEDICATED TO A BELOVED AMERICAN ARTIST.
>> HE WAS CERTAINLY AWARE THAT THERE WAS HARDSHIP IN PEOPLE'S
LIVES, HE ALWAYS LOOKED FOR THE POSITIVE AND OPTIMISTIC.
I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE HALLMARKS ABOUT VISITING THIS
MUSEUM.
PEOPLE LEAVE MORE UPLIFTED AND INSPIRED THAN WHEN THEY ARRIVE.
>> FROM ITS HUMBLE BEGINNINGS IN THE HISTORIC OLD CORNER HOUSE IN
STOCKBRIDGE, VISION TORTOISE THE NORMAN ROCKWELL MUSEUM TODAY CAN
TOUR A 36-ACRE CAMPUS THAT INCLUDES THE ARTIST'S STUDIO
THAT WAS MOVED THERE PLUS SEE THE WORLD'S LARGEST COLLECTION
OF ORIGINAL ROCKWELL ART AND OTHER FEATURED AMERICAN
ILLUSTRATORS.
>> THIS IS THE PEOPLE'S MUSEUM.
THIS WAS A MUSEUM CREATED BY GRASS ROOTS DEMAND.
AND SO MANY PEOPLE FLOCKED TO THE OLD CORNER HOUSE WHEN THEY
LEARNED THAT THEY COULD SEE HIS ORIGINAL PAINTINGS THAT VERY
QUICKLY THE MUSEUM OUTGREW ITS ORIGINAL QUARTERS.
WHEN BEGIN DRIVES ON THIS CAMPUS THEY ARE STRUCK BY ITS BEAUTY,
BUT THEN THEY ARE REALLY JUST CAUGHT IN THE HEART WHEN YOU
COME INTO THE GALLERIES AND SEE HIS ARTWORK IN FULL SCALE AND IN
REAL LIFE, AS OPPOSED TO IN REPRODUCTION.
>> BORN IN NEW YORK CITY, ROCKWELL ALWAYS WANTED TO BE AN
ARTIST AND ENROLLED IN ART CLASSES TAT A YOUNG AGE.
IN 1916, THE 22-YEAR-OLD ROCKWELL PAINTED HIS FIRST COVER
FOR THE SATURDAY EVENING POST, THE MAGAZINE HE CONSIDERED TO BE
THE GREATEST SHOW WINDOW IN AMERICA.
>> HE REALLY WAS A VISUAL STORYTELLER, YOU KNOW.
HE SAID FOR ME THE STORY IS THE FIRST THING AND THE LAST THING.
AND AS HE SAID, THAT'S NOT WHAT A FINE ART MAN GOES FOR, BUT
THAT'S WHAT I GO FOR. AND HE REALLY STAYED TRUE TO HIS
IDIOM THROUGHOUT HIS LIFE.
>> WHEN HE MOVED TO STOCK BRIDGE IN 1953 HE FORMED A BOND WITH
THE RESIDENTS AND OFTEN ASKED THEM TO MODEL FOR HIS PAINTINGS.
CLAIRE WILLIAMS WHO WORKED FOR OF ROCKWELL'S MODELS FOR A
SERIES OF MASS MUTUAL LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY
ADVERTISEMENTS.
>> IT WAS 1958 AND I SAY I WAS IN MY LATE 30'S, AND IT WAS
FUNNY BECAUSE THAT WAS THE LAST PIECE THAT HE DID OF ME.
I WAS OUT THE DOOR, AND HE SAID TO HIS PHOTOGRAPHER, CALL HER
BACK.
SO AS I CAME BACK IN I SAID TO SOMETHING, HE SAID PUT THIS
APRON ON.
SO I PUT IT ON, WHATEVER I WAS WEARING THERE, AND HE DID SOME
MORE SKETCHING AND PHOTOGRAPHING.
AND THAT'S WHAT CAME OUT OF THERE.
THAT'S MY PERIWINKLE BLUE DRESS THAT HE DIDN'T PUT IN THE COLOR,
AND I HAD NO IDEA HE WASN'T GOING TO.
SO THAT'S WHAT I WORE BECAUSE OF THE COLOR, AND IT CAME OUT BLACK
AND WHITE.
I WAS QUITE DISAPPOINTED.
>> ED LOCK WAS 8 YEARS OLD WHEN HE POSED FOR ROCKWELL'S PAINTING
OF THE RUNAWAY.
>> MY MOTHER SAID PUT ON A GOOD SHIRT BECAUSE YOU'RE GOING TO GO
POSE FOR MR.
ROCKWELL, WHICH IN THE TOWN OF STOCKBRIDGE WAS NOT
ALL THAT UNUSUAL, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF MY FRIENDS ARE IN
ROCKWELL PRINTS.
SO MY FATHER CAME AND GOT ME OUT OF SCHOOL AND WE ACTUALLY POSED
FOR THIS COVER AT A HOWARD JOHNSON'S RESTAURANT ON THE
PITTSFIELD LENOX ROAD, BELIEVE IT OR NOT.
WHEN WE ARRIVED MR.
ROCKWELL ALREADY KNEW WHAT HE HAD IN
MIND, SO WE MORE OR LESS SAT ON THESE STOOLS, MOVED OUR HANDS A
LITTLE BIT, PUT ON DIFFERENT JACKETS AND THAT KIND OF THING.
AND THIS WAS THE RESULT.
NOW THE TROOPER WAS A GENTLEMAN NAMED RICHARD CLEMENTS WHO WAS
IN FACT A MASSACHUSETTS STATE TROOPER.
AND I MET HIM THAT DAY.
HE ALWAYS CLAIMED THAT THERE WAS A NATIONWIDE SEARCH FOR THE
HANDSOMEST POLICE OFFICER IN THE COUNTRY AND THAT'S WHY HE WAS
CHOSEN.
BUT THE POINT OF FACT, HIS MOTHER WAS MR.
ROCKWELL'S NEXT-DOOR NEIGHBOR.
SO MR.
ROCKWELL WENT ACROSS THE LAWN AND ASKED HIS MOTHER IF
RICHARD WOULD BE INTERESTED IN POSING FOR THIS PICTURE.
AND OF COURSE I POSED FOR THAT AS WELL, BEFORE THE SHOT.
ALSO WHEN I WAS 8, BECAUSE APPARENTLY WHEN I WAS 9 I WAS NO
LONGER THE CUTEST KID IN THE WORLD.
I NEVER WAS ASKED TO POSE AGAIN.
>> IN ROCKWELL'S LATER YEARS HE PAINTED PICTURES ILLUSTRATING
SOME OF HIS DEEPEST CONCERNS AND INTERESTS.
THIS INCLUDED THE FOUR FREEDOMS, A SERIES OF IMAGINGS INSPIRED BY
PRESIDENT FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT'S RECENT ADDRESS TO CONGRESS.
>> IN THE 1960'S, FOR EXAMPLE, HE STARTED TO FOCUS ON THE CIVIL
RIGHTS MOVEMENT, AND ON MAJOR CONTEMPORARY EVENTS LIKE THE
MOON LANDING IN 1969.
WHERE HE WAS ACTUALLY PICTURING THE MOON LANDING BEFORE AND
AFTER IT HAPPENED.
SO I THINK HE REALIZED THAT AS A NOTED VISUAL COMMENTATOR HE
REALLY HAD THE CHANCE TO AFFECT US.
>> ROCKWELL PRODUCED MORE THAN 4,000 ORIGINAL WORKS IN HIS
LIFETIME.
HE WAS ALSO COMMISSIONED TO ILLUSTRATE MORE THAN 40 BOOKS
INCLUDING TOM SAWYER AND HUCKLEBERRY FINN, AS WELL AS
PAINTING THE PORTRAITS FOR PRESIDENTS EISENHOWER, KENNEDY,
JOHNSON AND NIXON.
ROCKWELL PASSED AWAY IN NOVEMBER OF 1978.